Historical Events in 1962

Events 1 - 200 of 741

• Jan 1 Beatles' Decca Records audition is unsuccessful - they are told “guitar groups are on the way out..."
• Jan 1 Rwanda granted internal self-government by Belgium

• Jan 1 Western Samoa gains independence from New Zealand Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili II becomes co-chief of Western Samoa
• Jan 1 United States Navy SEALs established.
• Jan 1 48th Rose Bowl: #6 Minnesota beats #16 UCLA, 21-3
• Jan 1 28th Sugar Bowl: #1 Alabama beats #9 Arkansas, 10-3`
• Jan 1 28th Orange Bowl: #4 LSU beats #7 Colorado, 25-7
• Jan 2 Nighttime version of "Password" with Allen Ludden premieres on CBS
• Jan 3 Ground is broken for the Houston Astrodome

• Jan 4 1st automated (unmanned) subway train in New York City

• Jan 7 1st AFL All Star Game, Balboa Stadium, San Diego, California: Western Division beats Eastern Division, 47-27; MVP Cotton Davidson, Dallas Texans, QB

• Jan 7 Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to John Hall Wheelock [1]
• Jan 8 Dutch express train crashes into slow commuter train, 93 die (Neth)

• Jan 9 Mister M (Dr X) beats Verne Gagne in Minn, to become NWA champ
• Jan 9 NFL prohibits grabbing of face masks
• Jan 9 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
• Jan 10 Eruptions on Mount Huascaran in Peru destroy 7 villages & kill 3,500
• Jan 11 Landslide at dormant volcano Huascaran in Peru kills an estimated 4,000

• Jan 12 Operation Chopper begins, America's first combat mission in the Vietnam War
• Jan 13 "Do Re Mi" closes at St James Theater NYC after 400 performances

• Jan 15 Dutch & Indonesian navy encounter in Etna Bay New Guinea

• Jan 15 50th Australian Championships Women's Tennis: Margaret Smith beats Jan Lehane O'Neill in the final for 3rd straight year 6-0, 6-2

• Jan 15 Derveni Papyrus rediscovered - Europe's oldest surviving manuscript from c. 340 B.C., commentary on a Orphic poem, found in a tomb in Derveni, Northern Greece [1]
• Jan 16 Shooting begins on "Dr No" the first James Bond film
• Jan 16 Suit accuses NYC Board of Education uses "racial quotas"

• Jan 17 Roy Harris' 8th Symphony, premieres in San Francisco
• Jan 18 Southern University, Baton Rouge, closed due to demonstrations
• Jan 18 US begins spraying foliage in Vietnam to reveal Viet Cong guerrillas
• Jan 18 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
• Jan 20 "Kean" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 92 performances

• Jan 21 Snow falls in San Francisco
• Jan 22 The Organization of American States suspends Cuba's membership.

• Jan 23 Libya, Morocco, Algeria & Tunisia plan to form United Arab Maghreb
• Jan 23 Film "Jules et Jim", based on the novel by Henri-Pierre Roché, directed by François Truffaut and starring Jeanne Moreau is released
• Jan 24 28 refugees escape from East to West Germany

• Jan 26 Canadian Marine Service renamed Coast Guard
• Jan 26 David Diamond's 7th Symphony, premieres in Philadelphia
• Jan 26 US launches Ranger 3, misses Moon by 22,000-mi (37,000-km)
• Jan 27 "Family Affair" opens at Billy Rose Theater NYC for 65 performances
• Jan 28 Johanne Relleke gets stung by bees 2,443 times in Rhodesia & survives

• Jan 30 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
• Jan 30 2 members of Flying Wallendas' high-wire act killed when their 7-person pyramid collapsed during a performance in Detroit
• Jan 30 Laughter epidemic begins at a girls' mission school in Kashasha, Tanganyika, goes on to affect 14 schools and over 1000 people
• Jan 31 General Charles P Cabell, USAF, ends term as deputy director of CIA
• Jan 31 Samuel Gravely assumes command of destroyer escort "USS Falgout", first African American to command a combat ship
• Feb 1 "New Faces of '62" opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 28 performances
• Feb 1 MLB's National League releases its first 162-game schedule due to expansion (18 games between opponents)
• Feb 2 1st pole vault over 16' (4.88m) (John Uelses-16', Melrose Games)
• Feb 2 8 of 9 planets align for 1st time in 400 years
• Feb 2 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
• Feb 3 John Uelses pole vaults record 489 cm
• Feb 3 US President John F. Kennedy bans all trade with Cuba except for food & drugs
• Feb 4 "Gay Life" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 113 performances
• Feb 4 Russian newspaper Izvestia reports baseball is an old Russian game
• Feb 4 US female Figure Skating championship won by Barbara Roles
• Feb 4 US male Figure Skating championship won by Monty Hoyt
• Feb 5 French President de Gaulle calls for Algeria's independence
• Feb 5 Suit to bar Englewood NJ from "racial segregated" schools, filed
• Feb 5 Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn all within 16 degrees
• Feb 6 Schoolman Athletic Field in the Bronx named
• Feb 7 Gas explosion in Luisanthal coal mine Voelklingen Germany kills 298
• Feb 7 US President JFK begins blockade of Cuba by banning all Cuban imports and exports.
• Feb 8 KACB TV channel 3 in San Angelo, TX (NBC) begins broadcasting
• Feb 8 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
• Feb 8 In Paris, 8 people killed at a protest against independence for the French colony Algeria
• Feb 9 Jamaica signs agreement to become independent
• Feb 9 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
• Feb 10 Jim Beatty sets American indoor mile record (3:58.9) in LA
• Feb 10 USSR swaps spy Francis Gary Power to US for Rudolph Abel
• Feb 12 Bus boycott starts in Macon, Georgia

• Feb 15 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

• Feb 16 "La Jetée", French film directed by Chris Marker, starring Hélène Chatelain, Davos Hanich and Jacques Ledoux, is released
• Feb 17 Storm in Hamburg kills 265
• Feb 18 France & Algerian Muslims negotiate truce to end 7 year war
• Feb 18 4th Daytona 500: Race winner Fireball Roberts dominates the event, leading 144 of the 200 laps
• Feb 19 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

• Feb 21 Minister De Pous confirms natural gas reserves in Groningen, Netherlands
• Feb 22 Philadelphia center Wilt Chamberlain sets NBA record with 34 free-throw attempts (converts 19) in Warriors 139-121 win over St. Louis Hawks at Philadelphia Civic Center
• Feb 23 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
• Feb 24 "New Faces of '62" closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 28 performances
• Feb 24 "Sail Away" closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 167 performances
• Feb 24 General mobilization in Indonesia over New Guinea
• Feb 24 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
• Feb 25 India Congress Party wins elections
• Feb 25 Mike O'Hara completes record 97th marathon

• Feb 25 Philadelphia center Wilt Chamberlain scores 67 points against NY Knicks at Philadelphia Civic Center for the second successive year; Warriors lose 149-135
• Feb 26 Arthur Kopit's "Oh, Dad, Poor Dad . . ." premieres in NYC
• Feb 26 US Supreme court disallows race separation on public transportation

• Feb 28 WMGM-AM in New York City changes call letters to WHN
• Mar 1 American Airlines 707 plunges nose first into Jamaica Bay, NY, killing 95
• Mar 1 Kresge Corporation openes the first Kmart store in Garden City, Michigan
• Mar 1 US and British nuclear test experiment in Nevada
• Mar 2 President John F. Kennedy announces US will resume above ground nuclear testing
• Mar 2 Philadelphia center Wilt Chamberlain scores 100 points, most ever by an NBA player in a single game, in Warriors' 169-147 win over NY Knicks in Hershey; 36-of-63 from field, 28-of-32 from free-throw line
• Mar 2 In Burma, the army led by General Ne Win seizes power in a coup
• Mar 3 British Antarctic Territory forms
• Mar 3 9th ACC Men's Basketball Tournament: Wake Forest beats Clemson, 77-66
• Mar 4 AEC announces 1st atomic power plant in Antarctica in operation
• Mar 5 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

• Mar 6 St Louis vote to build a new downtown stadium for the Cardinals
• Mar 6 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
• Mar 6 US promise Thailand assistance against communist aggression
• Mar 7 The Beatles made their broadcasting debut on BBC radio
• Mar 7 Launch of OSO 1, 1st astronomy satellite (solar flare data)
• Mar 7 Ground-breaking report "Smoking and Health" published by the British Royal College of Physicians, first major report to warn of the dangers of smoking

• Mar 8 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

• Mar 9 US advisors in South-Vietnam join the fight
• Mar 10 Due to its no black policy, Phillies leave Jack Tar Harrison Hotel & move to Rocky Point Motel, 20 miles outside Clearwater, Florida
• Mar 12 Dutch Premier De Quay announces secret talks with Indonesia
• Mar 13 Yugoslavia grants 1,000 prisoners amnesty
• Mar 14 Disarmament conference opens in Geneva without France

• Mar 15 Richard Rodger's musical "No Strings" opens at 84th St Theater NYC for 580 performances
• Mar 15 Five research groups announce the discovery of anti-matter
• Mar 15 Donald Jackson of Canada is 1st to land a triple lutz ice skate jump
• Mar 15 KATU TV channel 2 in Portland, OR (ABC) begins broadcasting
• Mar 15 Wilt Chamberlain is 1st to score 4,000 pts in an NBA season
• Mar 16 1st launching of Titan 2-rocket
• Mar 16 US Super-Constellation disappears above Pacific Ocean, kills 167
• Mar 18 Algerian War ends after 7½ yrs (250,000 die), Ben Bella flees

• Mar 18 7th Eurovision Song Contest: Isabelle Aubret for France wins singing "Un premier amour" in Luxembourg
• Mar 19 "All American" opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 80 performances
• Mar 19 Archbishop Suenens of Mechelen-Brussels appointed cardinal
• Mar 20 Sjoukje Dijkstra becomes world champion figure skater
• Mar 21 Yogi the bear becomes the 1st creature to be ejected at supersonic speeds by the US military testing ejection seats
• Mar 21 Dutch RC bishop Beckers declares himself in favor of birth control
• Mar 21 Philadelphia Phillies retire pitcher Robin Roberts' # 36

• Mar 23 JFK visits San Francisco
• Mar 23 Nawab of Pataudi captains India cricket v WI age 21 years 77 days
• Mar 23 Wake Forest coach "Bones" McKinney becomes 2nd person to play and coach
• Mar 23 William DeWitt buys Cincinnati Reds for $4,625,000
• Mar 24 24th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Cincinnati beats Ohio State, 71-59; Bearcats win back-to-back National titles

• Mar 24 Emile Griffith beats Benny " Kid" Paret by TKO in 12th round in welterweight boxing title fight at MSG, NYC; Paret dies 10 days later; first use of television slow motion replay
• Mar 25 "Family Affair" closes at Billy Rose Theater NYC after 65 performances
• Mar 25 French OAS-leader ex-general Jouhaud arrested
• Mar 26 US Supreme Court backs 1-man-1-vote apportionment of seats in state legistature
• Mar 27 Ann Jellicoe's play "Knack" premieres in London
• Mar 27 Archbishop Rummel ends race segregation in New Orleans Catholic schools

• Mar 28 Devastating 8 for 6 spell by West Indian spin bowler Lance Gibbs gives home side innings & 30 run 3rd Test win over India in Bridgetown
• Mar 28 Military coup in Syria, President Nazim al-Kudsi flees
• Mar 29 Argentine President Arturo Frondizi flees from the army

• Mar 31 116th Grand National: Fred Winter aboard 28/1 shot Kilmore wins by 10 lengths from Wyndburgh
• Apr 2 The first official Panda crossing is opened outside Waterloo station, London.

• Apr 3 Lt General Marshall S Carter, USA, becomes deputy director of CIA
• Apr 5 Herb Gardner's "Thousand Clowns" premieres in NYC
• Apr 5 Mgr J Daems appointed bishop of Antwerp
• Apr 5 NASA civilian pilot Neil Armstrong takes X-15 to 54,600 m
• Apr 5 St Bernard Tunnel finished-Swiss/Italians workers shake hands
• Apr 7 Indian cricketer Polly Umrigar slams 172 not out vs West Indies at Port-of-Spain in 248 minutes

• Apr 8 Accords of Evian (Algeria) accepted by referendum in France

• Apr 9 US President JohnF. Kennedy throws out 1st ball at Washington's new DC Stadium
• Apr 10 52,564 fans attend first MLB game at LA's Dodger Stadium at Chavez Ravine, a 6-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds
• Apr 10 Houston Colt .45s make their MLB debut with an 11-2 win over the Chicago Cubs at Colt Stadium; outfielder Román Mejías hits a pair of 3-run homers
• Apr 11 New York Mets make a losing debut
• Apr 12 San Mateo County withdraws from BART (San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit) district

• Apr 13 US steel industry forced to give up price increases
• Apr 14 Demonstration for sovereign status of New Guinea in Amsterdam

• Apr 14 France retains the Five Nations Rugby Championship with an 11-0 win over Ireland at Stade Colombes, Paris
• Apr 15 US national debt above $300,000,000,000
• Apr 16 Brazil nationalizes US businesses

• Apr 16 66th Boston Marathon won by Eino Oksanen of Finland in 2:23:48; second straight win and 3rd title overall
• Apr 18 16th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat LA Lakers, 4 games to 3

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